Changeable display device



Jame 3Q, 1936.. w SMlTH ZAMEfiHg CHANGEABLE DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Nov. 5, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l 43 I8 48 "/4 1o 9 20 g 43 INVENTOR w. L-sM ITH.

' ATTORNEY.

June 39, 1936. w L SMITH CHANGEABLE DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Nov. 5, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. W. 1. 5M ITH.

Patented June 30, 1936 UNETED STARS FATET @FFIQE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to display devices.

The general object of my invention is to provide a novel changeable display device whereby an article can be displayed in such fashion that a change in the physical appearance of the article will seem to have taken place with a masked short interval of travel of the article whereby the interest of the observer will be aroused.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide a display device including a single moving belt and a pair of display apertures above the belt and wherein the belt includes a novel display panel arranged to move from one position to another while moving from one aperture to another.

Other objects and the advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a display device embodying the features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, with parts in section, and in elevation showing details of my invention;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a sectional detail showing the belt display card and the mounting for the display card;

30 Fig. 7 is an elevation of a modification of my invention;

Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 88 of Fig. '7; and,

Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 99 of Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters I have shown my invention as embodied in a display device which is indicated generally at ill. As shown the device includes a receptacle I l shown as having a wooden bottom i2 and metal ends l3, back l4, front l5, top l6 and display panel ll.

The device is shown as of rectangular shape although it will be understood that the shape may be varied to suit the intended use. The display panel is provided with a pair of apertures I8 which are spaced apart by a web i9. Depending from each edge of the web I9 I show a fabric strip 20 which is in the nature of a curtain. The panel li may have suitable indicia 2| thereon, such, for example, as the words Before and After.

My display device isprimarily intended for displaying articles which it is desired to show in two conditions, e. g., a ring 22 may be shown in one aperture as having a broken band and the ring 22 may be shown in the adjacent aperture as repaired. A brooch 23 is likewise displayed as crushed and restored. This illustration, however, is merely intended to show the general usefulness of my invention which however is adapt- 5 ed for a wide range of display.

Mounted within the receptacle at each end thereof I show a supporting bracket 24 which includes a base 25 and uprights 26 which are suitably inclined to support an inclined shaft 21. Mounted on each of the shafts 27 I show a drum 28 and over the dmms I arrange an endless belt 29. This belt is so arranged on the drums and supports that the upper reach passes directly under each of the apertures 18.

In order to drive the belt and convey articles to be displayed beneath the apertures 18 I provide a bracket 38 which includes a base 3| and upwardly directed arms 32 and 33. These arms 32 and 33 support a motor and gear reduction 34 and a gear 35 which is driven by the drive shaft of the gear reduction.

The gear 35 drives a chain 36 which drives a second gear 3? which is arranged to drive one of the drums 28. The construction is such that when the motor operates the drum rotates and moves the belt with a continuous motion beneath the apertures it.

Mounted upon the belt 29 I show a plurality of supporting rods 31, the number of which may be varied to suit the conditions under which my display device is operated. The rods 31 may have loops 38 at each end and these loops are arranged over the shanks of bolts 39 which have heads to (see Fig. 6). Washers 4i serve to space the rods 3? above the belt and the loops 38 are engaged by knurled nuts 32 tohold the parts assembled. The belt 2% is of flexible material, such as canvas, and the bolts 39 are inserted through the canvas at the desired places and are secured by the nuts M. It will thus be seen that the supporting rods 3? can be readily placed and removed as desired.

Mounted on each of the supporting rods 3! I show a display panel 43. Each of these panels may be made of metal or other suitable sheet material and each panel is provided with a hole therethrough which receives the associated supporting rod so that the panel is freely slidable along the rod. Each panel 53 has a length which is less than the length of the supporting rod so that the panel can move along the rod from an upper position where the lower portion of the panel is visible through the apertures I 8 to a lower position where the upper portion of the panel is visible through the apertures [8. The panels substantially slide on the belt and are restrained from lateral movement by the rods 31.

The panels are intended to be in the lower position when in alignment with the right hand aperture in Fig. 2 and to cause the panels to be in elevated position when in alignment with the left hand aperture I provide a shifting rod or track 44 which is preferably a sufficiently rigid wire and has one end secured at 45 and the other end secured at 46 to the bottom l2. Intermediate the length of the rod 44 I preferably provide a supporting post 46'.

The rod 44 includes an upwardly inclined portion 4! which merges into a horizontal portion 48 and in operation as the belt rotates the panels are advanced and as they do so a pin 49 engages the rod 44 and is raised to an upper position where it remains until the end 59 of the hori- Zontal portion of the rod is reached whereupon the panel is free to fall as it does. The arrangement is such that the panel is in an elevated position when it is at the left aperture in Fig. 2 and is in a lowered position when the panel is at the right aperture. Thus it will be apparent that if two objects are placed on a panel one of these objects will be visible at one aperture and the other object will be visible at the other aperture with the shift from one object to the other taking place during the interval when the panel is travelling beneath the web 55. This will pro duce an illusion and will attract the interest of the observer so that effective advertising, or other desirable results, will be obtainable.

In Figs. '1, 8 and 9, I have indicated a modified form of display device generally at 52. As shown the device 52 comprises a housing 53 which includes a front 55, a back 55, ends 56 and a base 57. Mounted on the base within the housing 53 I provide a bracket 58 in which a shaft 58 is journaled. Mounted on and secured to the shaft 59 I provide a hub Gil having thereon a plurality of equally spaced radially extending arms 5!. slidably mounted on each of the arms ti I provide a display panel 62 similar to the display panels 43 in the device H]. An enlarged head member 63 on each of the arms 6| prevents the panel members 62 from being accidentally removed therefrom.

The front 54 of the housing 53 includes a pair of arcuately shaped apertures 64 and 65 having a web 55 t erebetween. The web 66 is shown as substantially directly above the axis of the shaft 59 with the apertures 64 and 65 extending downward to slightly below the axis of the shaft.

On the front 54 I provide suitable indicia such as the word Before over the aperture 64 and the word After over the aperture 65. Mounted on and secured to the shaft 59 I provide a sprocket 6'! which is driven by a chain 68 from a sprocket 69 on the drive shaft of a gear reduction motor iii. Thus when the motor I0 operates the hub 58 with its associated arms BI and panels 62 will rotate about the axis of the shaft 59.

Adjacent the aperture 64 I provide a shifting rod: or cam track H which is adapted to be engaged by the inner ends of the panels 62. When the device is operating the rod ll retains the panel 62 in engagement therewith in an extended portion wherein the inner portion of the panel is visible through the aperture 54 and when the panel is fully positioned behind the web 66 moves off the cam track 'H and falls into engagement with the hub 60 whereafter the outer portion of the panel is visible through the aperture 65.

The display device 52 like the device is primarily intended for displaying articles which it is desired to show in two conditions such as first in the aperture 54 as a broken article, as indicated at H, and then in the aperture 65 as a repaired article, as indicated at '12. The arrangement is such that when the device is operating the broken articles H are displayed through the aperture 64 and the repaired articles are displayed through the aperture 65.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have invented a novel display device which can be economically manufactured and which is highly efficient in use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a display device, a housing having a pair of longitudinally aligned apertures therein, an endless belt in said housing and visible through said apertures, means to support said belt, means to move said belt, a display panel on said belt, inclined means to slidably mount said panel to move with said belt and also to move in a direction transverse to the direction of travel of said belt, and means to move the panel transversely to said belt, said panel moving means being designed so that as the panel passes one of said apertures, the panel is shifted upwardly so that one portion thereof is visible, the inclination of the panel mounting means being at such an angle and the smoothness of the bearings for the panel being such that as the panel moves away from one aperture the panel slides downwardly by gravity so that at the other of said apertures a different portion of said panel is visible.

2. In a display device, a receptacle, said receptacle including a front portion having a pair of longitudinally aligned apertures therein, a pair of drums rotatably mounted in said receptacle, means to drive one of said drums, an endless belt supported on said drums and disposed so that the belt runs beneath said apertures, a plurality of inclined rods supported on said belt, a display card on each rod and slidable transversely of the belt, a shifting rod mounted alongside said belt, said cards each having a projecting pin thereon, said shifting rod being disposed to be engaged by the pins to shift each card upwardly along its inclined rod to a position whereby one portion of the card is visible at one aperture, the inclination of the rods and the smoothness of the bearings for the panels being such as to enable gravity to operate whereby each card moves so that another portion thereof is visible at the other aperture.

3. In a display device, a receptacle, said receptacle including a front portion having a pair of longitudinally aligned apertures therein, an endless belt mounted in said receptacle and disposed so that the belt runs beneath said apertures, a plurality of rods extending across the belt, said rods being inclined, a display card mounted to slide on each rod, a shifting rod mounted alongside said belt, said cards each having means thereon to engage the shifting rod and shift the card upwardly as each card approaches one aperture, the effective length of said shifting rod terminating short of the second aperture, the inclination of the rods and the smoothness of the bearings for the cards being such that each of the cards slides down its associated rod by gravity before it comes into the area of the second aperture.

4. In a display device, a housing, said housing including a front, a pair of spaced longitudinally aligned apertures in said front, a pair of spaced rollers in said housing, means to rotatably support said rollers, means to drive one of said rollers, an endless belt on said rollers, one reach of said belt being positioned adjacent said housing front face, a plurality of panel members on said belt, inclined means to mount said panels on said belt for movement therewith and also for movement transversely thereof, an inclined shifting rod, means on said panels to engage said shifting rod and shift the panels upwardly, said rod being arranged so that when said panel members engage the rod the panel members are in a position wherein one portion thereof is visible through one of said apertures, the effective length of said rod terminating short of the other apertures, the inclination of the inclined means and the smoothness of the bearings for the panels being such that each panel moves downwardly by gravity before it comes into the area of the second aperture.

5. In a display device, a receptacle, said receptacle including a front portion having a pair of spaced longitudinally aligned apertures therein, a pair of drums in said receptacle, means to support said drums for rotation, means to drive one of said drums, an endless belt supported on said drums, said drum supports being disposed whereby the belt runs beneath said spaced apertures, a plurality of rods supported on said belt and extending from one side of the belt towards the other side thereof, said rods being inclined when passing beneath said apertures, a display card slidable on each rod, said display cards having a length greater than the width of the apertures, a shifting rod mounted alongside said belt, said cards each having a projecting pin thereon, said shifting rod being disposed to be engaged by the pins to shift each card upwardly as it approaches one aperture, the effective portion of said shifting rod terminating short of the second aperture, the inclination of the inclined rods and the smoothness of the bearings for the cards being such that each of the cards slides down its associated rod by gravity before it comes into the area of the second aperture.

6. In a display device, a receptacle, said receptacle including a front portion having a pair of spaced longitudinally aligned apertures therein, a pair of drums in said receptacle, means to support said drums for rotation, means to drive one of said drums, an endless belt supported on said 5 drums, said drum supports being disposed whereby the belt runs beneath said spaced apertures, one edge of said belt being disposed higher than the other edge, a plurality of inclined rods detachably supported on said belt and extending from the high side of the belt towards the low side thereof, a display card slidable on each rod, said display cards having a length greater than the width of the apertures, a lifting rod mounted alongside said belt, said cards each having a projecting pin thereon, said lifting rod being disposed to be engaged by the pins to lift each card as it approaches one aperture, the effective portion of said lifting rod terminating short of the second aperture, the inclination of the inclined rods and the smoothness of the bearings for the cards being such that each of the cards drops by gravity before it comes into the area of the second aperture.

7. In a display device, a housing, said housing including a front, a conveying member movably supported in said housing, means to move conveying member, said front having a pair of spaced apertures therein, said apertures being longitudinally aligned with respect to the path of movement of the conveying member, said conveying member being movable under said apertures, rods on said conveying member, said rods being inclined when beneath said apertures, a plurality of panel members, means to mount each panel member on a rod to slide thereon, a shifting rod, means whereby said panel members engage said shifting rod, said shifting rod being arranged so that when said panel members engage said rod the panel members are retained in a position wherein one portion thereof is visible through one of said apertures, the inclination of the inclined rods and the smoothness of the bearings for the panel members being such that when said panel members are disengaged from said shifting rod they drop by gravity so that a different portion of said panel members is visible through the other of said apertures.

WILLIAM I. SMITH. 

